County News Review 

By Rachel Kytonen

Senator Amy Klobuchar recently visited the Braham Area Food Shelf as part of her 19-county rural economy tour.

Klobuchar visited the food shelf on Monday, April 21, with her economy tour also having stops in northwest, central and southern Minnesota.

“This week I will visit farms, small businesses, and health care centers throughout rural Minnesota,” Klobuchar said. “I want to hear directly from Minnesotans about their challenges, particularly when it comes to health care access, household costs and the impact of the proposed tariffs on the rural economy. Our rural areas are critical to Minnesota’s strength.”

Klobuchar visited the Braham Area Food Shelf to meet the staff and volunteers who help get food and essentials to people in the community and support their critical work to feed families in need.

“We appreciate that Senator Klobuchar took time out of her busy schedule to stop at the Braham Area Food Shelf and the Tusen Tack organization office as part of her statewide visits,” said Connie Gelle, one of four co-directors with the Braham Area Food Shelf. “We shared that the Braham area community, and those communities surrounding us, have been very generous in coming alongside us as we continue to serve the community. Second Harvest helps us meet that need, but we do pay for the food from them at a slightly lower than store cost.”

The Braham Area Food Shelf has seen an increase in clients due to the rising cost of groceries.

“We have continued to see a modest increase in clientele as prices have increased,” Gelle said. “We are also a source of information for clients who ask about housing, Ruby’s Pantry, Fare for All, congregate dining from Catholic Charities. It would be great if people realized that food shelves need to pay for any food they have to purchase that is over and above what is donated.”

According to Klobuchar, approximately one in five Minnesotans experienced food insecurity in 2024, with 17% of those households including a senior, and 26% including a child.

The Braham Area Food Shelf appreciates all of its volunteers.

“We have five regular volunteers and each of the nine churches in our area is scheduled to provide two volunteers per week when it is their month to serve,” Gelle said. “We also have two men who regularly help with the food truck delivery and another man who every week picks up our bread donation from Cub Foods. We cannot tell our volunteers often enough how much their efforts help us meet the needs of our clients.”

Besides food, personal products are always appreciated when they are donated.

“We love when people donate food items because they are often items we cannot get from Second Harvest. Those food donations provide a bit of variety for our clients,” Gelle said. “In addition, any hygiene products like deodorant, shampoo, and feminine hygiene products are greatly appreciated.”

Klobuchar’s visit included updates from the staff at the Tusen Tack Programs and touring the Braham Area Food Shelf, located within the Braham Event Center. The food shelf serves an average of 87 households (252 people) each month.

Klobuchar is leading efforts to ensure programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreements Program (LFPA) can continue to provide support for organizations working to make sure families have the food they need.

The Braham Area Food Shelf is open every Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon; they also accommodate emergency appointments by calling 320-425-9077. There are no residency requirements to utilize the Braham Food Shelf; clients do not need to live within the Braham School District to visit. Families or individuals are welcome to visit the food shelf weekly for bread and produce, and once a month for boxes of packaged food, plus meat and dairy.

Tusen Tack Programs is a nonprofit that strives to build community and enhance the quality of life of residents in East Central Minnesota through the engagement of volunteers, partnerships with other nonprofit organizations and providing services, including the operation of the Alice Studt Library, Braham Area Food Shelf, Braham Event Center, Kathy’s Kitchen and the Tusen Tack Thrift Store.